Russia is establishing a “security zone” inside Ukraine along their border, which will be non-negotiable in any future talks with Kyiv, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
Putin, wearing military uniform and speaking during a visit to a command post, said the operation was in response to Ukraine’s 2024-25 incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region.
“The Russian armed forces were tasked not only with expelling the enemy from our land but also with establishing a security zone in the adjacent territory.
This task is being carried out successfully,” he said in televised comments.
“Our goal is to ensure the absolute security of Russia’s border regions for the future, and we do not plan to make this a subject for potential peace negotiations with Ukraine.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the planned security zone spanned 660 km (410 miles), of which 70 per cent was currently under Russia’s control. He did not say how deep it would reach inside Ukraine.
Putin has spoken before about the need for such a zone but has not previously spelt out the planned extent of it or said it would be off-limits for talks.
